April52011

THENORTHERNLIGHT APRIL 5, 2011

POLITICS

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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

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Title Town:

Success in every sport

Military students claim mistreatment by professors

By Alden Lee

The Northern Light

DANIEL JACKSON/TNL

Relaxing after class, Nichole Tovar, 27, reads The Northern Light in the Lucy Cuddy Hall on Thurs, Mar 31. Although Professor Na Xiao resigned, Tovar feels that it was only a short term solution, and the issue with UAA’s lack of military leave rights hasn’t fully been resolved. “I don’t know if the situation would have properly been dealt with if policy had not been broken,” Tovar said.

Standing before a crowd of people and facing public humiliation, Staff Sergeant Tovar was being interrogated. Hardly able to get a word in edgewise, she had no choice but to deal with a barrage of questioning.

Tovar wasn’t standing in a basic training formation. She was in a UAA business class, Principles of Marketing.

Despite eight years in the Army Reserves, Tovar was not prepared for this.

What started out as a courtesy email to resolve a scheduling conflict between school attendance and mandatory duty quickly dissolved into what some have described as a public face-off.

The contenders? In one corner, the assistant professor of Business and Public Policy, Na Xiao, openly enforcing her classroom policy. In the other corner, military student Nichole Tovar, struggling to receive what she believed to be her student rights.

As a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, Tovar has always juggled her course work with military requirements.

Cramming for tests and dealing with large amounts of make-up work are the norm for her. Appearing consistently on the Dean’s List and always maintaining high grades, she has handled the pressure.

But this semester things suddenly went south. When comparing her business class schedule to her drill schedule, Tovar noticed the day of her final overlapped with one of her mandatory drill days. Tovar sent out a courtesy email to her professor, explaining the conflict and asking if it was possible to reschedule the exam.

Tovar was not prepared for the reply she got back from the professor. “as i mentioned in the very first class, there will be no make-up exams. if you are absent from this, your final grade will probably be fail, which I do not want to give. pls try to change your army duty. that’s the only solution. thanks,” read the email.

“Her response was a shocker to me,” Tovar said. “I explained to her, I’ll probably go to the Dean or somebody higher about this, because this doesn’t seem right at all. It’s not a matter of rescheduling my duty; I have to be there. If I don’t show up for it, I can be punished by the military.”

SEE MILITARY PAGE 6

IDEA surveys compiled Parking Services drives on CDs for student use the commuter bandwagon

By Kate Lindsley The Northern Light

Bacteria in space. Microscopic creatures living in a vacuum.

Astrobiology/Biology A365. A dual department course offered by Professor Khrys Duddleston, this exploratory course was introduced for the Spring 2011 semester.

If Bob Dylan sounds better than bacteria, consider HNRS A192, a course offered in Fall 2011 semester that will study Dylan’s autobiography Chronicles.

Each year, new courses are added to the course catalog, though the departments themselves are responsible for advertising them. Whether the word gets out depends on a catchy title, interesting content and opinions of the professor.

Students often consult friends or www.ratemyprofessor.com prior to picking CRNs, class schedules and professors. What many students may not know is UAA has their very own in house professor rating system, completely available to the student body.

Individual development and educational assessment (IDEA) evaluations completed on Blackboard at the end of each semester are

compiled and put on disc to be stored in the Student Government office, the Learning Resource Center, and the Consortium Library. Students can check out this reserve material and browse the vast matrix of ratings given by students.

However, most students are unaware the IDEA survey results are readily available. Daniel Long, an undeclared sophomore, and Adam Martinez, an elementary education sophomore, both said they would use the software, had they known of its existence.

Complicated file names, unclear file paths and cluttered documents lead to frustration. In addition, the low student response to IDEA surveys makes most of the professor reports unreliable. Lastly, student comments, useful information to some, are left out of the professor report.

The student bias must also be taken into consideration. The motivation to complete an evaluation is likely either to voice extremely positive or negative opinions of the professor.

“I’m more likely to fill it out if I didn’t like a teacher,” Martinez said.

Dr. Caroline Wilson, professor in the biology department, also noted the extreme responses.

The evaluations are from, “the ones that were satisfied and dissatisfied, not

SEE PROFESSOR PAGE 4

Department plans to implement car sharing programs

By Sean Talbot The Northern Light

Making up for rising permit fees this fall, Parking Services plans to implement new car sharing programs at UAA. According to Glenna Muncy, Director of Parking Services. The money is going to helping students who don’t necessarily have cars to park.

In an effort to promote carpooling and more sustainable transportation, Parking Services signed UAA on with two programs: Connect, a campus rental car program by Hertz, and Zimride.com, a commuter website tailored for students and their immediate networks.

Connect by Hertz is a self-service car-share program, which makes rentals available to students who need occasional transportation, but don’t want the financial burden of owning a car.

Here’s a quick rundown of how it works: To sign up, a student pays a $35 membership fee, which goes toward a driving record check and administrative costs. When they want to rent a vehicle, they pay $9-12 an hour-depending on what type of car--and they get 180 miles to run errands, go snowboarding, or impress a first date. And a gas card takes care

of fuel.

Let me repeat that: the gas you burn is covered in the rental price.

About that you-have-to-be-25-rule in order to rent a car? Not so here. Any student over the age of 18 will be able to rent them out.

UAA will be the first Connect location in Alaska. However, the memberships are transferable, so if a student travels to another Connect city, they can rent a car there as well.

The program aims to be sustainable and green, but Muncy realizes what is practical in Alaska and what isn’t. ”We probably won’t go for hybrid vehicles, just because they’re not very reliable in winter,” she said.

Starting in the fall, the fleet will likely consist of one sedan and one SUV. One might think Commuter Student Services would be the organization to bring up a program like Connect, but services like these are expensive. Parking Services stepped up to bring the program to UAA. The funds come, in part, from the roughly $200,000 in citations they collect every year.

“For Parking Services to take responsibility and come up with these fantastic options to improve commuter life,” says Sarena Hackenmiller, Manager of the Student

SEE CARS PAGE 3

02

TNL

NEWS| April 5, 2011

‘Reel Eyes’ Film Showcase raises awareness of disabilities

By Matt Caprioli The Northern Light

How might you decorate your power wheelchair? UAA sophomore Bryan Arnold attached a “Genuis” license plate to his.

Arnold is all for wheelchair décor. In 2009, Arnold received a self-advocacy award from the Council for Exceptional Children. During the award ceremony in Seattle, he met the producers of “Darius Goes West”, a film about a young man from Georgia who goes on 7,000 mile road trip to Los Angeles. The final goal?—to have his wheelchair “pimped” by the MTV reality show “Pimp my Ride.”

Around age four, Arnold showed signs of Duchene muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition where muscles weaken and eventually fail as one develops. He has used a wheelchair since nine, and a few years ago had a tracheostomy so a ventilator could help with his breathing.

But Arnold is a goal-oriented man, and prefers to focus his energy elsewhere.

“A disability is a physical or mental impairment by definition, but I try not to let it define me. I live my life setting goals for myself. When I reach one goal, I set another. I believe this is what has kept me going.”

Arnold has already accomplished more than many UAA sophomores. While studying at the King Career Center, he produced a five minute video called “Living with Muscular Dystrophy.” It has nearly 12,000 views on YouTube and thousands more on other sites.

“It is on quite a few non-profit websites. Channel 2 News has shown it on their news-hour and during the telethon, a teacher at KCC uses it to teach her personal care assistant class, and the Anchorage School District has it on their ASD tube,” Arnold said.

The clip was shown at UAA as part of the 2011 Reel Eyes Showcase of Films, a presentation of films created by people with disabilities. This is the eighth consecutive year the Reel Eyes Showcase of Films has been held through UAA. Disability Support Services has organized four major events that explore aspects of disabilities. The subjects are society, advocacy, culture, and technology. Arnold’s clip appeared on March 24, when the focus was advocacy.

The Reel Eyes showcase is not exclusive to UAA. “This year, for the first time, we have been able to share information through distance delivery in addition to in-person. You’ve got to realize that the Reel Eyes Showcase of Films started out as an Anchorage activity,” Kaela Parks, Director of Disability Services, said.

The Showcase did indeed begin as a community activity.

In 2004, the Bear Tooth, Out North, and the Anchorage Museum presented various films that explored a certain theme of disabilities: History and Culture, Representations in Film and TV, A Global Perspective, Athletes and Artists, etc. The Showcase has also expanded to the Valdez, MatSu, and Kenai campuses.

Since 2004, UAA Disability Services has since expanded Reel Eyes to include credit in several disciplines such as social work, education, psychology, and guidance.

This year, one credit is offered to students as Social Work 490. About 20 people are currently enrolled via Elive or in person.

The class, and visitors who can attend for free, tackle some difficult issues.

“How do we know if people want a cure for any particular disability? At what point do we just accept the disability for what it is, versus trying to fix?” UAA student Mya Dale asked.

Parks answered that there’s a need to differentiate between a medical impairment versus difference in how one interacts with the environment. Eyeglasses can improve vision, and if the person elects to have improved vision, this is the appropriate choice. The only problem arises when that option is denied or demanded. We all have different definitions of positive or negative traits; what’s most important is that people have options. ++UAA and disabilities “While we are legally obligated to provide accommodation when someone can verify that they are experiencing a barrier on the basis of a documented disability, we can also choose to go beyond this strict compliance model and proactively design our learning environments in ways that are less likely to produce barriers in the first place,” Parks said.

She continues that this benefits people who may experience barriers, but cannot legally request

‘UAA is one of those schools choosing to go beyond our minimal requirements to try to improve situations and embrace disability as part of diversity.’

-Kaela Parks Director of Disability Services accommodation. This is especially needed when, as is the case with most college campuses, a large number of students experience hidden disabilities, such as mental health, learning differences, and chronic health conditions.

“People often think first of physical limitations or sensory differences. There are in fact a wide range of ways in which individuals may be impacted,” Parks said.

Mental health, attention, and mobility disabilities are the most pervasive disabilities in U.S colleges, according to the most recent data collection in 2008 by the Government Accountability Office. UAA has lower rates of mental health and attention disabilities, but higher rates of mobility impairment and with specific learning disabilities.

UAA conducts an annual survey of students who use accommodation. Frequent praises include an informative website and the ease of testing accommodation. Criticisms are geared toward two areas: inaccessibility of class material and the design of classroom furniture.

But overall, UAA has an admirable track record when accommodating disabilities.

“The city of Anchorage could learn a few things about accessibility from UAA. There is a small elevator in Eugene Short Hall and all of the buildings I have classes in are accessible. UAA has special desks and spaces set

DANIEL JACKSON/ TNL

UAA sophomore Bryan Arnold attached a “Genuis” license plate to his (please note that spelling is deliberate).

aside for those with disabilities, and the Disability Services department is really on top of helping all of us out. The sky-bridge covers most of the campus and is an awesome way to travel from building to building,” Arnold said.

UAA also does not act simply because government mandates compel it. Some schools function on this accountability model, and do integrate design that would promote accessibility.

“UAA is one of those schools choosing to go beyond our minimal requirements to try to improve situations and embrace disability as part of diversity, to take responsibility for ensuring accessible and usable offerings campus-wide,” Parks said.

But accommodating disabilities, especially in a campus diverse as UAA, is not as clear-cut as building more ramps.

“Accessibility is not binary. It is a situation where any given offering will tend to be more usable or less usable for any given individual depending on the particular characteristics at play,” Parks said.

Physical constraints, availability of hardware, level of proficiency with particular tasks, all can affect the class material and technologies that UAA purchases.

Disability Services spends a lot of time determining which technologies and materials are the best for certain students.

But they can only do so much; in the classroom, other students also determine whether an environment is or isn’t accepting.

SAY WHAT? Dead man’s vote stands in New York village election

Welsh ‘Hitler House’ causes Internet stir

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- The election was decided by one vote, and both sides agree that a dead man voted. But a judge in New York says the man’s absentee ballot can stand because it wasn’t challenged before it was counted.

Marc Baum had challenged the vote for village of Manlius trustee.

Arnold Ferguson, the father of another candidate running for the board, had submitted an absentee ballot but died three weeks before the March 15 election in central New York.

Election officials admit the vote shouldn’t have counted, but a state supreme court judge on Thursday ruled that any challenge had to happen before the ballot was removed from its envelope and counted.

Baum, who lost the race by a single vote to Harold Hopkinson, says he’s through with politics for now.

LONDON (AP) -- An unassuming semi-detached house in Wales has become an unlikely Web star after Internet users decided that it looks a lot like Adolf Hitler’s face.

The Swansea home’s tan-colored, four-window facade stared out from British tabloid newspapers Wednesday following heavy distribution on social networking sites.

Its resemblance to the dictator’s face is debatable.

The lintel above its door vaguely echoes the Nazi dictator’s toothbrush mustache, with the black sloping roof reminiscent of Hitler’s side-parted hair.

Fake massage parlor inspector demands rubdown NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- A California man is charged with demanding a rubdown and $200 while pretending to be a massage parlor inspector.

Orange County prosecutors charged Edward Justin LaPorte with felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of impersonating a peace officer and firearm violations. The 47-year-old faces arraignment Friday in Newport Beach.

Investigators say LaPorte is a former police officer from Illinois. They say he was wearing a badge when he entered the Golden Spa massage parlor in Lake Forest on Jan. 31 and told the manager he was investigating a complaint.

Prosecutors say he then complained of back pain, and a masseuse gave him a back rub before LaPorte asked for a frontal massage, which was refused.

No phone listing could be found for LaPorte and court records don’t list an attorney for him.

Five goats found wandering gritty New Jersey city PATERSON, N.J. (AP) -- Police have captured five goats that were wandering the streets of a gritty northern New Jersey city.

Chief Animal Control Officer John DeCando tells The Record newspaper that a woman called Paterson police after nearly hitting the herd with her car at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

Police took the goats to the animal shelter. They’ll stay there until they are sent to a farm to live out their days.

DeCando says he believes someone was keeping them for an Easter meal or a sacrifice.

It’s illegal to keep farm animals in Paterson.

No phone listing could be found for LaPorte and court records don’t list an attorney for him.

Suspected ‘Obama robber’ nabbed in Austria VIENNA (AP) -- Austrian authorities say they’ve arrested a man suspected of robbing a series of banks while wearing a Barack Obama mask.

Police say the 45-year-old German man is suspected of carrying out seven heists since 2008, the most recent on Thursday afternoon in the village of Fornach. He was taken into custody about 3 kilometers (2 miles) away a short time later after a police dog found a bag containing the mask, a weapon and the haul.

Police official Markus Mitloehner said Friday the unidentified man has confessed to the robberies.

Citation over front yard toilet planter dismissed SOAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) -- An eastern Tennessee man has won what became the battle of the bowl when the city cited his front yard toilet planter as rubbish.

William Terry’s appeal of his citation went to City Court in Oak Ridge where a judge dismissed it Thursday, ruling the city’s definition of rubbish was overly broad.

Flush with success, Terry told the Knoxville News Sentinel he might celebrate by flanking his driveway with two more commodes.

Judge Robert A. McNees III praised the city’s effort to clean up neighborhoods and encouraged its continuation, but said the city must enact ordinances in language citizens can understand.

City code enforcement supervisor Denny Boss called the ruling an interpretation of who is right.

Terry called it wonderful for flower pots everywhere.

“Cities in this region were built very near rivers and the rain forests, which is why it is not uncommon to see animals like alligators and snakes entering people’s houses,” Farias said.

He declined to identify the woman or her son.

–Compiled by Matthew Caprioli

April 5, 2011 | NEWS

CARS: Hitchin’ a ride CONTINUED FROM COVER Hackenmiller, Manager of the Student Union and Commuter Student Services, “it’s amazing.

And it’s super green!”

Zimride.com is a commuter website geared specifically toward commuter college students. Users can set up rides, schedules, and determine how much they’ll charge passengers.

The entire user network is exclusive to the campus, so the anonymity of Craigslist gets tossed out the window. Those concerned with safety can narrow rides down and offer them to only their personal network. In addition, users can sign up for Zimride through Facebook, and manage their rides through that.

Of course, students can use Zimride for more than just commuting to school. It’s there for work, road trips, pub-crawls, anything.

Zimride is gaining popularity on campuses on the west coast.

San Francisco, for example, has more than 170 commuter rides available, according to their website. Los Angeles has nearly

350.

“Alaska’s not the metropolis that California is, so it might take a while before it picks up,” said Muncy. “You may have good luck or it might be sporadic.”

The more people that sign up and use the service, she says, the faster and more efficient it will be.

“The commuter options have gotten better,” said David Murdoch, Commuter Student Services Coordinator. “If only people would start using them.”

“It’ll help people be more conscious about the environment, Hackenmiller said, “and to find other methods of getting around.”

According to Zimride, the average person spends $5,000 per yeay on their vehicle.

“It’s really exciting to see UAA move toward efficiency and progress,” said Hackenmiller.

And with gas prices rising toward the hole in the ozone layer, these options make the new price increase disaster a little less painful for students.

STATEWIDE BRIEFS

03

Cutter would be turned into museum

Art exhibit aimed at raising autism awareness

Legislation has been introduced to turn a decommissioned Coast Guard cutter into a museum.

U.S. Sens. Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski introduced legislation Tuesday to turn the STORIS into a privatelyfunded museum in Juneau. Congressman Don Young introduced a similar measure in the U.S. House.

Begich says the STORIS served 60 years in the Arctic, Bering Sea and waters off Alaska, and there is no more fitting tribute to the ship than to turn it into a museum.

The STORIS was built in Toledo, Ohio, and was commissioned in 1942 as an ice patrol tender and served in the North Atlantic during World War II. It was reassigned to Juneau in 1948, and in 1957 became the first U.S.registered vessel to circumnavigate the North American continent.

An art exhibit will be displayed throughout April at the Anchorage Museum at Rasumson Center to raise awareness of autism.

Autism is a developmental disability characterized by delays in communication, difficulties with social interaction, and restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviors.

The Alaska Autism Resource Center received about 50 pieces of art from around the state made by individuals with autism or their friends and family.

“Art for Autism” will be displayed in the museum educational hallway adjacent to the Imaginarium Discovery Center.

April is Autism Awareness Month.

New Data Shows Jobs On North Slope Near All-Time High

Truck fire closes Parks Highway near Fairbanks

Employment in Alaska’s oil and gas industry is near its all-time high, according to the most recent figures from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

An estimated 12,800 people were employed by the industry in 2010, just shy of the historical peak of 12,900 in 2009.

In 2006, when 15 out of 19 fields on the North Slope had a 0% tax rate, 10,100 people were employed in the oil patch.

Since 2008, more than 12,000 people have been employed by the industry each year.

These statistics are in sharp contrast to the impression being created by the Parnell Administration and a barrage of television ads claiming that jobs in the industry are down and Alaska’s “future is at risk.”

“Responsible decisions on Alaska’s future must be based on hard facts, not unsubstantiated claims,” Senator Bill Wielechowski said today.

Wielechowski offered other examples of critical information which has been withheld from the public.

“The number of new development wells being drilled on the North Slope has actually increased,” Wielechowski said.

One hundred and thirty seven wells were drilled in 2006, 139 in 2008, and 164 in 2010, according to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Investment on the Slope is also rising. Capital and operating expenditures increased from $3.7 billion in fiscal year 2007 to $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2008 to $4.3 billion in fiscal year 2009 and $4.7 billion in fiscal year 2010.

These increases are expected to continue into the coming years. The Department of Revenue forecasts expenditures of $5.1 billion in fiscal year 2011 and $5.5 billion in fiscal year 2012, based on information provided by the industry.

“The time for an honest appraisal of the facts is now,” Wielechowski said.

“Alaskans are being asked to forgo billions of dollars in revenue each year which otherwise could go to improving education, building needed infrastructure, and saving for less prosperous times.

“They should not be duped or misled into making a decision of this magnitude.”

–Compiled by Matthew Caprioli

A late-night truck fire forced closure of the Parks Highway near Fairbanks for two hours.

Alaska State Troopers say a commercial car hauler carrying cars caught fire just before midnight Thursday.

Troopers found the truck fully engulfed and blocking the northbound lane at Mile 337 about 25 miles south of Fairbanks.

The truck was registered to Wright Way Auto Carriers.

Driver Timothy Charles told troopers he saw flames coming from the truck while driving. He stopped and tried to put out the fire but it grew out of control.

Troopers say multiple vehicles on the hauler burned with minor explosions.

The Ester Volunteer Fire Department and Nenana Volunteer Fire Department responded to extinguish the fire.

The truck was destroyed.

Suit seeks review of state access to union file A former state employee wants the Alaska Supreme Court to consider whether the state should get access to his union records as part of a wrongful termination lawsuit.

An attorney for Russell Peterson Jr., Douglas Mertz, says he knows of no other instance in which the state has asserted there’s no right to privacy in the internal communications between a union member and union.

He says the trial court ruled the state can have access to Peterson’s file because attorney-client privilege doesn’t apply to interactions with a non-lawyer union official. Mertz wants a review by the high court before the trial begins.

The state says Peterson was fired after failing to disclose past felonies. It says the union didn’t seek arbitration and Peterson wasn’t a union member when he sued.

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FEATURES

04

Local activist goes national to end child hunger

By Sean Talbot The Northern Light

dependable meals they have every day.

College students can help end child hunger.

“Help do the impossible by addressing a social ill that people say will never go away. Donate a jar of peanut butter, internship at food banks and pantries, research new programs, write a 501.3(c),” Nosakhere said.

Wait, what?

“Take an idea and make it real. Establish a non-profit,” Nosakhere said. “I got Don Burrell to do it.”

Burrell’s work established and maintains Children’s Meal Mission (CMM), which, with the help of George Bell, hands out about 150 free meals a day at the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club.

“Starting a non-profit isn’t an easy task if you’re not focused on what you’re doing.

Feeding kids is what we do”, Burrell said.

CMM depends on donations and volunteers to operate.

Plus, Nosakhere adds, college students have a unique ability to spread ideas.

“They use Facebook and Twitter every day and these things can change the world if we use them right,” Nosakhere said.

His goal is more than to spread awareness by demanding action. He promotes food donation drives like the November 2010 Peanut Butter Jam featuring Naughty by Nature.

Nosakhere’s letter campaign addressed to the Alaska Legislature is a call to provide state funding to school districts for breakfast and lunch. The list goes on.

In 2009, Nosakhere tackled the root issue of poverty by running a letter-collecting campaign to help pass a bill to raise the state minimum wage.

Working at the Food Bank, Nosakhere saw more than 3,600 people in one year. At food pantries, he handed out food stamp applications. He visited people’s homes to assist them in filling the forms out.

Inspired by his own work, Nosakhere started his own campaign to cut out the middleman.

Nosakhere left the Food Bank in April 2010 to pursue his own work full-time. Plus, he’s got Kahlila, his 4-year-old daughter, to feed.

Ironically, he usually works his 16- to 18-hour campaign shifts on one meal a day.

Kokayi Nosakhere is calling every college student in America to help end child hunger.

A grassroots activist who has been working for over a year, Nosakhere has one goal in mind: ending child hunger in Alaska by 2015.

The former Food Bank of Alaska Food Stamp Outreach Coordinator says he’s gotten the word out enough in Anchorage to take his message to a national level.

“Before, it was about awareness. Now, we are asking college students across the U.S. to be a part of the solution,” Nosakhere said.

Don Burrell Jr., local non-profit Children’s Meal Mission administrator, has worked with Nosakhere from the start. Burrell says that other communities will respond to the campaign even better than Anchorage has.

“Grassroots [campaigns] move faster as the word spreads, because once people see we have local support, they’ll have more trust in our message,” Burrell said.

Nosakhere spoke at Ignite Anchorage, a community forum focusing on technology, entertainment and design, on March 2. Broadcasting online to 16 countries, he announced his plans to take his cause beyond Alaska.

“The address at Ignite Anchorage is a call to arms to save those children,” Nosakhere said afterward.

Next week, he leaves for Chicago and Los Angeles to visit campuses, talk on radio shows and connect with local communities.

“I’m totally supportive of what Nosakhere is doing,” Burrell said. “This is the goal we’ve been working toward.”

Nosakhere described his philosophy passionately.

“It’s about martialing the political, social, and cultural will to end child hunger. It’s a formidable act, but the idea is simple,” Nosakhere said.

The infrastructure to accomplish this is already in place, Nosakhere asserts.

Federal funds already exist to put the money into school food programs, but Alaska doesn’t contribute extra support.

Thanks to Brendan Joel Kelley of “I’m collecting letters from people the Anchorage Press for contributing to support state legislation to turn that to this story. around. The problem is when summer hits and these kids are out of school,” Nosakhere said.

SEAN TALBOT/TNL Come June, he says, 19.5 million kids Relaxing Kokayi Nosakhere listens to Wang Gut work his music magic in the studio at the Mountain View Boys & Girls Club. across the U.S. will lose two of the most Nosakhere is trying to work with college students to help end child hunger by 2015.

PROFESSOR: Lack of feedback leads to poor evaluations CONTINUED FROM COVER

GRAPHIC BY COREY BEAUDRIE

much in between. Either end of the spectrum. It’s always important to see if the students are happy.

You can hear about that through other professors who have those students again, but having it in writing is always important,” Wilson said.

The IDEA surveys provide a score out of five on how excellent the teacher is and how excellent the course is. Gems such as amount of reading, difficulty of subject matter and teaching style are hidden in latter pages of the mesh of information.

The report is only considered reliable in a handful of cases. In the data from Spring 2010 in the College of Arts and Sciences, only 82 out of 471 reports made this cut. Not only are many results not reliable, but they also may not be representative. Only 67 out of the 471 reports were representative of the class.

In the end, only 31 reports were both reliable and representative.

In her anatomy and physiology course last semester, Wilson had only 4% feedback out of 400 students. With so few responses, the

documentation is rendered unreliable by the IDEA Center.

Long and Martinez also didn’t know that the IDEA surveys, if reliable and representative, are used as one aspect in tenure decisions. Kimberly Sanderson, civil engineering junior, noted the important connection between students’ opinions and tenure decisions.

“I think students should do the evaluations, and they should be considered in tenure. Students opinions on professors should be considered,” Sanderson said.

Considering the unreliability and inaccessibility of the discs as well as the omission of student comments, www.ratemyprofessor.com may still be the most popular professor research tool. But if it’s data students are seeking, IDEA reports are one option to make an informed decision.

April 5, 2011 | FEATURES

05

Like what we’re doing?

Don’t like it?

Want more condoms on your paper?

No?

LET US KNOW!

e-mail letters to

content@thenorthernlight.org Letters should be no longer than 300 words.

They may be edited for content and grammar.

GURU KATE

Pheromones propel procurement of powerful passion

By Kate Lindsley The Northern Light

What are pheromones? What do they do?

Dear smelly snooper, Pheromones are hormones produced by your body and sweated out your pores. The many factors that go into what pheromones are released are based on your mood, hormones and genetics.

Everyone’s pheromones are different, which gives everyone a distinct body odor.

These magic compounds in perspiration help bloodhounds track someone’s scent.

Like the most stinky fingerprint you can imagine, the exocrine glands are individual for every couch potato and athlete alike.

They’re also on tons of animals. You know that sick looking ball of snakes on Animal Planet? It’s like a giant knot of garter snakes in a mating ritual? They’re all releasing pheromones, going crazy, letting each other know they’re ready to get it on.

Humans do the same thing, but in a more club-like setting. When people are dropping-it-like-it’s-hot, they’re sweating and releasing pheromones. There’s been recent research to suggest that one aspect of initial attraction is a small component in sweat that is genetically determined. A factor exhibited in your immune system, people who have this genetic characteristic are more attractive to certain people.

In reality, this isn’t the end-all-be-all of love at first sight. The ugliest, rudest, most insane person could sweat attractive pheromones and no one would care. But they could play a role in primal attraction.

Many companies have now capitalized on localizing odorless pheromones and selling them in sweet smelling perfume. Look at sex panther from Anchorman. Essentially a gimmick, none of these perfumes, nor Tag or Axe, will get the opposite sex to want you so bad they will cause you physical harm (see any Tag or Axe commercial).

Not even in the natural world will the attraction be that insane. Many bird species have delicate dances and rituals.

Male wildebeests must herd their women, but rarely hurt them. Sea urchins send up little pheromone messengers to let the other sea urchins they are open for business.

Male anglerfish are the weirdest, clingiest of all. Once they find a female, they latch on and fuse to her body, becoming parasitic. For life. Consider that when you think your breakup isn’t going too well.

divorce rates.

Of course there’s a ton of other factors in this connection, like family breakup after WWII and the decline of Catholicism as a major religion in the household.

Regardless, it’s hard to ignore the biological explanation. If pheromones are constantly washed away from the body, and then antiperspirant is slathered on, how can anyone really know when an attraction is forming?

This is not to say that hippies find love faster and easier because they don’t bathe.

Perhaps it is a small factor. But with our huge human brains and complicated lives, there’s way more than just smelly stuff coming into play. It may play a role in initial attraction, but not lifelong love.

So don’t quit showering and wearing deodorant just because you wanna get laid.

It will probably backfire really really bad.

There is some rumor saying that generation Y has perfume, cologne and deodorant to blame for bad love lives. How much of a basis is there for this rumor?

Dear sweet sniffer, Actually, a lot. There’s evidence suggesting that in the mid 20th century, the rise in washing routines in some states was correlated with their raising

DANIEL JACKSON/TNL

06

TNL

FEATURES|April 5, 2011

MILITARY: Absence policy does not include armed forces CONTINUED FROM COVER

Tovar’s options were either to withdraw from the class or take it during another term. She was also told that talking with the Dean would change nothing.

In response, Tovar approached the

pretty alarmed.”

Things escalated in a matter of days.

Along with another military student, Tovar was called to the front of the class and forced to endure a public questioning

Assistant Dean of Business and Public Policy, Claudia Clark along with a group of other students who had complaints about Xiao.

“I put my problem out there to her,” said Tovar, “and she said, ‘Oh, well that’s definitely something we can work on.’

They must have approached [Xiao] about it, because next thing I know, things started getting worse.”

According to Tovar, Xiao began singling her out in class, repeatedly questioning her on assignments and projects. When giving a group presentation for the class, Tovar said she was the only one of her group to be critiqued, multiple times, on the project.

“It was very blatant,” Tovar said. “It almost felt spiteful, as if she was trying to show me who was running the show. I was

from Xiao, who began explaining the entire situation to the rest of the class. Xiao pulled up the entire set of personal emails between Xiao and Tovar on the overhead screen and began reading them aloud.

Unless given permission by the student, publicizing a student’s email is a violation of Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) rights, among others. Tovar had not given such consent.

“I couldn’t believe she would cross such a line. The whole class was blown away. I was simply shocked,” Tovar said.

Xiao also asked Tovar if English was her first language, suggesting Tovar hadn’t understood the options the professor laid out for her. Tovar said her reserved personality was the sole reason she didn’t retort at that point.

GRAPHIC BY COREY BEAUDRIE

After the event, several of Tovar’s classmates sent her emails, expressing their sympathies and giving their full support toward seeking reprimanding action against Xiao.

“It is difficult to begin putting my frustrations with (Xiao), her lack of professionalism and her conduct with students in writing,” one classmate said in an email.

“I would love to participate in any actions necessary to reprimand her and provide some sort of justification for the section 1 and 2 students,” added another student.

After video surfaced showing Xiao questioning Tovar in class, the students once again approached the Assistant Dean.

UAA’s response was swift; Xiao was stripped of her teaching post and ended up resigning. The class switched to an online course, with students required to finish the remaining assignments and exams before the end of the semester.

Beyond this particular incident, military students are also worried about UAA’s military policy in general.

The University of Alaska Anchorage has no protection for military students who are called away on duty, or any other military service. There are excused absence rights for students involved with athletics or student government, but nothing military related. In addition, there are no military advisors on campus; the post is reportedly vacant.

“I searched through the UAA handbook, believing I would find some policy showing I had the right to leave and reschedule my final,” said Tovar. “I saw athletics, student government—but there was absolutely nothing that would help me out of my predicament.”

This isn’t the first time such lack of leave rights has impacted a UAA military student.

A poignant example can be found in one ex-UAA student, who wished to remain anonymous for this article. According to the former UAA student, she received four failing grades after all four of her professors refused to work with her when she was called away for basic training the week of her finals. She eventually dropped out of UAA, and has no desire to return.

“The way I was treated, it felt like they regarded me as nothing,” she said. “I was an inconvenience. An annoyance.”

Claudia Clark, Assistant Dean of Business and Public Policy, provided insight on behalf of the College of Business and Public Policy.

“UAA is fully committed to assisting military students in any way possible, including working with them concerning their military duties. As for this specific issue, we are not allowed to discuss such personal matters,” Clark said.

Pam Cravez spoke for Chancellor Tom Case.

“We strongly encourage faculty to be flexible and respect the military and other commitments of our students,” Cravez said.

As Chairman of the Alaska Veterans Foundation, Inc., a Board Director of Alaska Veterans Business Alliance and a father of a UAA veteran student, Ric Davidge offered firm opinions on the subject.

“The University system-wide needs to make a more purposeful effort to welcome, support, and encourage our veterans and active service members as students,” said “They have earned it through service and sacrifice,” Davidge said.

OPINION

07 EDITORIAL

The Obama Administration: From No love allowed in anti-war doves to warmongers daycare facilities Decision to commit aid made without approval from Congress

By Daniel McDonald The Northern Light

“The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

Oh how the times have changed.

These were the words of thencandidate Obama in 2007 before he decided to intervene in yet another oil-producing Arab nation. He and his party have gone from one of anti-war doves to fullon warmongers. Even President Bush went before Congress before invading Iraq, an alleged threat to the United States.

To their credit, however, many liberals and democrats are aghast at his decision to commit military aid without the approval of Congress, including Dennis Kucinich, Jim Webb, and others.

Politico reported that just last week during a convening of House Democrats one lawmaker angrily protested. “They consulted the Arab League. They consulted the United Nations. They did not consult the United States Congress.” It is also worth noting that in last week’s edition of The Northern Light, Eli Johnson who typically takes a left of center approach argued in his column that America cannot afford the intervention in its current budget crisis.

Even if the budget deficit for this year wasn’t $1.5 trillion and we weren’t $14 trillion in debt, the decision to intervene in Libya is still the wrong course to take for several reasons.

One of the most compelling reasons for the war’s supporters is that it has international support behind it. We’re just following the UN resolution to impose a no-fly zone to protect civilians they say.

We have both the Arab League and international community behind the operation; the U.S. government is not taking a leading role. But this “go along to get along” mentality is proving to be a failure.

The Arab League is already reversing its support for the operation. Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa was shocked and dismayed to learn that civilians were killed in ally airstrikes. Well, what did he expect? With any sort of military engagement there will be civilian casualties. When dealing with the Arab League, this comes as no surprise seeing as how unreliable they have been in the past, yet they were praised as an instrumental asset to the operation.

What of the other powers?

Well, Germany is long gone after a dispute with France; Russia denounced the intervention as a “medieval crusade”; China and Brazil are calling for a ceasefire and Turkey and India have remained unfavorable from the

beginning. Three cheers for the multilateralism!

Of the countries still actively involved in the Libyan war, there is still some confusion in the chain of command. President Obama made sure to reiterate a few weeks ago that America was merely “one of the partners among many.” But then who should lead?

At this point nobody is quite sure.

Norwegian aircraft were ready to strike from Crete but refused to send them anywhere until it figured out who’s in charge. There is a crisis of leadership that only America seems to be able fit to fill, leadership which the President

We have both the Arab League and international community behind the operation; the U.S. government is not taking a leading role. But this “go along to get along” mentality is proving to be a failure. seems adamant to refuse.

And why should the UN determine whether the U.S. goes to war in the first place? It sounds incredibly high-minded to say that we’re not acting out of national interest, but because the “international community” told us to. Put more simply, we’re basically allowing our foreign policy to be determined by China, France, Russia, the U.K. and all the others collectively. Sure, we always seem to compose the largest force with the most resources but it should be the world that decides when we engage in war, not simple-minded Americans and their representatives, the ones who will actually be paying the bill and sending their soldiers off to die.

Apart from the moral abdication of allowing the UN at the helm of American foreign policy decisions, President Obama has not outlined any sort of vital interests at stake. At the very least, before engaging in a preemptive war which is already somewhat dubious in and of itself, there has to be some sort of national interest at stake, and as far as I can tell there are none.

Supporters of the war claim that we’re not acting out of selfinterest but to prevent the slaughter of civilians. But if this were true, then why pick Libya? Sudan is in the same bloody neighborhood.

Its leader Omar al-Bashir has already been charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court, but nobody is talking about toppling his regime.

I suppose the President is still

waiting for someone else to take the lead on that one. If the only requirement for U.S. intervention is massacre of civilians, then we better prepare for endless war in impossible scenarios. The brutal Syrian dictator Assad cracked down on peaceful protesters last week killing dozens, but we didn’t even get a word of condemnation from the administration, and in fact, Secretary of State Clinton praised Assad as a “reformer”.

How nice.

The last and possibly most important question not being asked about this entire debacle is why should we help the rebels? Do we even know their goals or what they stand for? If we have learned anything from our past of arming rebel Arab armies it is that we ought to look carefully into their aims. We keep hearing how they are “freedom fighters” but where in the history of that region has any sort of free democracy ever flourished? Is the freedom they want simply to impose their own version of theocracy on each other? It may be possible that the rebels want to establish an even worse government than Gadhafi’s oppressive regime, and before arming them we should actually find out.

We also shouldn’t forget our foray into Afghanistan so quickly, where the U.S.-backed government in Kabul has “democratically” passed Shariastyle laws, allowing officials to put to death Muslim apostates.

The same goes for those “freedom loving” Egyptian revolutionaries who are apparently aiming to elect Muslim Brotherhood candidates in a swift election this September.

Remember them? They’re that harmless “secular” political party whose goal is to establish Islamic rule.

We can only hope President Obama sees the mess he has got us into and removes U.S. forces from the equation as soon as possible.

And if he wants to intervene in another Middle Eastern civil war in the future, he should consult Congress beforehand or at the very least know something of the combatant’s goals. But then again, we’re broke.

Over the years childcare rules and regulations have changed immensely.

Some for the better, and now some are for the worse.

Research shows that children who start getting an education before the age of five will have a better chance of doing well in school. The opportunities for a child will have more success if education if enforced on a regular basis.

Although there is currently more emphasis on book smarts than on life skills for most children, the balance should be relatively even.

During this day and age it is almost impossible to raise a child without the help of daycare professionals. Life, as we have all learned, is expensive and most parents are forced to work full time, 40 hours a week, five days a week.

The struggle is even harder for single parent homes, which according to the 2011 US Census, includes 14 million American families.

These facts have demanded focus on one issue: when do we draw the line? When do the rules become ridiculous?

Parents are leaving their children in the hands of daycare professionals for forty hours a week. Whether we like to admit it or not those daycare professionals help raise them during the hours the parents work to provide for their children financially.

And as most daycare providers can tell you, families of all kinds bring their children in, including those with difficult family situations, odd schedules, state assistance and foster care. For some of these children, daycare was the only form of stable adult contact.

According to OCS (Office of Children’s Services), on average 1,200 children each month are placed in foster care. The average stay in the foster home is 23 months. For these children, the need to be loved and nurtured is even more necessary than the average child.

The fact is children need to be loved and nurtured. Children at this age are learning how to deal

with emotion, a process that most adults struggle with throughout their lives.

And now daycare classes around the Anchorage community are no longer allowed to say, “I love you.” That phrase has now been changed to “I like you.”

A daycare provider who spends 40 hours a week minimum with a child should love these kids. If not, these teachers are clearly in the wrong profession.

Children tend to have more faith in someone they know loves them than in someone they don’t feel loved by.

For a parent who is enforcing some form of punishment on a child, typically they still want the child to know that they love them. This is no different for a daycare provider. Timeout is the most common form of discipline for daycare providers, but when discussing the issue with a child the child still needs to know they are still loved, even if they did something wrong. How can this be expressed without the expressed balance of love and structure?

As a former daycare provider myself, I have seen the issue come up numerous times.

In one instance, a child was being disciplined and put in timeout. As the four-year cried and regretted her bad choice she asked if I still loved her, how was I supposed to tell her I didn’t, or that I just liked her?

Kids look for love; they need the reassurance that they are loved. If they don’t get it at home, they deserve to receive love from somewhere else.

Better loved from the background and fingerprint checked employees of your daycare, than a stranger.

My response to this the child, was “Of course I still love you.”

It wasn’t a lie. Never could that love be anything compared to that of the parent, but I would do anything to help these children if they needed me - without one second’s doubt.

This is true of most daycare professionals and rest assured, the ones who don’t love your children are not the ones saying they love your children.

08 OPINION|

TNL

April 5, 2011

The Northern Light 3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508 Phone: 907-786-1513 Fax: 907-786-1331 info@thenorthernlight.org

EXECUTIVE EDITOR 786-1434 editor@thenorthernlight.org Jerzy Shedlock MANAGING EDITOR 786-1313 content@thenorthernlight.org Shana Roberson COPY EDITOR copy@thenorthernlight.org Wiley Cason NEWS EDITOR 786-1576 news@thenorthernlight.org Matthew Caprioli FEATURES EDITOR 786-1567 features@thenorthernlight.org Kate Lindsley

What’s the word @ .

THENORTHERNLIGHTorg RE: ‘Gleeprov II’ successful showcase of talent By: Shonti Elder “I really liked the improv too, and was very impressed with the lightening quick comedic reflexes of the actors. And the Glee section was so much fun! I really feel like we’ll look back and say “can you belive that we actually saw (insert names here) in a free concert while they were students, and before they became world famous?!!!”

A&E EDITOR 786-6198 arts@thenorthernlight.org Heather Hamilton

RE: Islamic violence justifies ‘Islamophobia’ By: Fan of Dan “Well written article. I have always found it curious that Muslims do not prosecute anyone who purposely murders innocent Jewish/non-Muslin children and their families. But heaven forbid if someone draws a cartoon of The Prophet.”

RE: Legislation pushed in South Dakota to legalize murder By: Andrew Konishi “We already have legalized murder. It’s called abortion.”

SPORTS EDITOR 786-1512 sports@thenorthernlight.org Taylor Hall PHOTO EDITOR 786-1565 photo@thenorthernlight.org Daniel Jackson WEB EDITOR 786-1506 web@thenorthernlight.org Ashley Snyder LAYOUT EDITOR layout@thenorthernlight.org Brittany Bennett ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR news2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR features2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR arts2@thenorthernlight.org Vacant ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR sports2@thenorthernlight.org Megan Edge GRAPHIC DESIGNER graphics@thenorthernlight.org CJ Beaudrie ADVERTISING MANAGER 786-4690 ads@thenorthernlight.org Mariya Proskuryakova ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Celina Hodge CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Munkh-Erdene Tsend-Ochir PHOTOGRAPHERS Pattrick McCormick CONTRIBUTORS Alden Lee Bryan Dunagan Daniel McDonald Eli Johnson Sean Talbot MEDIA ADVISER Paola Banchero ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISER Annie Route

The Northern Light is a proud member of the ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS. The Northern Light is a weekly UAA publication funded by student fees and advertising sales. The editors and writers of The Northern Light are solely responsible for its contents. Circulation is 5,000. The University of Alaska Anchorage provides equal education and employment opportunities for all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, Vietnam-era or disabled-veteran status, physical or mental disability, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of UAA or The Northern Light.

“It’s an excuse they can use, but it’s also not a reason to back down and it’s not the reason to point the finger at us. Just because we have done something that offends them. We live in the USA. If my neighbor does something that is offensive to me, no matter what he does, it does not give me to the right to enter into his house and kill him.”

-Rev. Terry Jones “We condemn, in particular, the action of an individual in the United States who recently burned the Holy Quran…

We further hope the Afghan people understand that the actions of a small number of individuals, who have been extremely disrespectful to the Holy Quran, are not representative of any of the countries of the international community who are in Afghanistan to help the Afghan people.”

-Gen. David Petraeus and Mark Sedwill, Senior NATO Ambassador

Quran burning in Amercan...

...ignites deadly protest in Afghanistan

Where do YOU stand?

Visit thenorthernlight.org and click on Opinion Roundup to vote

“Terry Jones, pastor of Gaineville church in Florida, USA, has burnt a copy of the Holy Quran in a time that the Americans ironically consider it as a cause of 9/11 and have already invaded Afghanistan and Iraq under the said pretext.

They shed blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent Muslims and even have recently turned to killing and oppressing the Libyans Muslims. So we can say, the hostility of the pastor and his anti-Islamic crime is not limited to his person but is a comprehensive anti-Islamic plan being implemented with the volition and consent of the White House.”

-Statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan “This was an outrageous and cowardly attack against UN staff, which cannot be justified under any circumstances and I condemn in the strongest possible terms.”

-United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

09

‘New Dances 2011’ showcases local UAA talent The annual dance production is back, and utilizing a larger cast compared to previous years

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Pirouettes, leaps, partners and unspoken messages - the UAA Dance Ensemble must be at it again.

“New Dances 2011” sports a larger cast than ever before, 10 unique dance pieces and even a few surprises for the unsuspecting audience.

From freshmen to veteran Dance Ensemble members, the 45 dancers performing in this year’s production are unique in several ways. Height, dance style, experience level and physical appearance all vary dramatically, (though all dancers have a background in dance and went through the audition process).

In addition to the dancers, “New Dances” also has a variety genres represented in the show.

Many pieces are based in modern dance, but not all, and many of the ones which do also incorporate other styles as well, such as hiphop, ballet and contemporary.

“Revive,” a piece by Miriam Grisham, is one such dance.

“It has modern and hip hop; not mixed together, but they will be interacting. It’s a pretty fun piece,” said Naomi “Joy” Amor, a

junior and computer information and office assistance major, and “New Dances” participant.

AJ Carino, a UAA student, composed the music for “Revive”.

Even the topics each routine centers around vary drastically.

This piece, which is slated to be the finale, comments on viral YouTube videos, social networking, the Wii Fit and flash mobs, and even invites a degree of audience participation.

Choreographer Brad Garner created a piece inspired by the ice floes in the Cook Inlet called “Ice Floe,” which utilizes solid geometric shapes coming together and breaking apart in various ways. “Sæglópur” is another nature-based dance, this one choreographed by Karlyn Grotts, that explores the motions of the sea.

In contrast, Stephanie Wonchala’s “Strange Little Girls” is an upbeat, and eery, dance that explores many different roles of women, from the nurturing maternal figure down to tortured victim.

Another performance to look out for is Leslie Ward’s “Rapture.” This piece, which is slated to be the finale, comments on viral YouTube videos, social networking, the Wii Fit and flash mobs, and even invites a degree of audience participation.

“We would actually like to get a lot of people involved,” said Amor. “It’s actually going to be like a flash mob kind of thing.”

“New Dances 2011” runs from Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 17 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $12 for the general public, and $10 for UAA students. Tickets can be purchased through the UAA Box Office, and over the phone at (907) 786-4TIX. There will be a special student preview on Thursday, April 7, and tickets for this performance are by donation.

HEATHER HAMILTON/TNL

Anna Marquez holds Joy Amor as they rehearse Stephanie Wonchala’s ‘Strange Little Girls’ for ‘New Dances 201.’

‘Crysis 2’ avoids catastrophe ‘The Unforgiving’ a musical temptation game. The leaves shimmer in the light. Each blade of grass is rendered like it is begging to be cut or plucked. It’s a great looking game, and looks even “Crysis” was released in 2007, prompting people better in 3D. If you have one of those new 3D TV’s to upgrade their PCs to become even worthy of the you may want to try this out, even as a gimmick. The game’s ambitious medium setting. So here we are 3D adds a little bit of an advantage, but the problem is that any part of the game that with a new game and a is outside of the viewing cone is new engine, and a game horribly out of focus. This isn’t a that runs and looks bad thing, as most of the time it gorgeous on PCs and is corrected with looking at the consoles. But is a game object in question. No definition really worth it being a is lost, which is a great feat to be glorified tech demo? The had, as some games lose their short answer is ‘yes.’ clarity.

On the surface, The nanosuit, present in all gamers are presented games, is more customizable. with a gorgeous game The player can outfit the suit and solid shooter with offensive capabilities, mechanics. The game such as an air stomp, and threat is 3D enabled, and indicators, to more energy to use doesn’t sacrifice any for suit powers like stealth and sort of fidelity (more on armor. The interesting addition that later). The world is an intuitive cover system. is overrun by alien When the player gets close to microbes and actual a wall, or some part of cover, aliens. Not to mention an arrow will appear near the a warring faction of reticle that prompts the player humans known as that they can lean out. This will C.E.L.L. The first part of save the player so many times, the game pits the player it’s almost stupid to not use it. against the C.E.L.L. and This feature, however, is not then later the aliens, the available in multiplayer, which first part of the game is nearly horrible, but picks right MAKER: Crytek Frankfurt is woefully similar to Call of up after the nanosuit powers are RELEASE DATE: March, 22, Duty’s rank system. The usage explained.

2011 of suit powers is worth giving the game a shot. The player In keeping up with “CryTek’s” can take a little extra abuse by open world motif, the game allows the player to ★ ★★★ activating the armor, and may stealth around enemies, which is almost always the best way, and leads to satisfying stealth kills, or go in turn the tide of a skirmish online. It’s a great system guns blazing with spray and pray tactics. Where the that adds to the amazing sci-fi vibe.

The game delivers. Not only a PC exclusive game differs is how this presented. For instance, a message will pop proclaiming that there are tactical anymore, all gamers can play “Crysis” and it’s a options available. You can either heed the game’s worthy adventure, if not just to talk about how the wisdom, or figure it out yourself, which often leads player tackled an issue to how the graphics look.

You owe it to yourself to buy this game. The only to horrifying examples of martyrdom.

The graphics are possibly the best around. downside is the slow beginning, but an hour or so of Honestly, if you have a high-end PC, you NEED this unforgiving losing and swearing is worth it.

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

Goth rock - with a feminine touch to keep up with the guitar riffs.

The violin work in “Murder” is amazing, and unreal. Couple this Within Temptation seems to with the inventive lyrics, and the have that near-perfect blend of Goth song is probably one of the best on and classic rock with a female lead the album.

The group sticks with the idea singer. Which is hard to do, as a combination of the two is difficult that the title is the story behind to pull off, but mix well with the the song, adhering to the classic right handling. There really isn’t rock laws. It subtly breaks them, but only with a whole a few tracks, lot to and is nearly complain unnoticeable. with The album here. is truly The something album that you opens would want with a your friends narrator, to be exposed followed to, even if by a great they sound song that generic at builds first.

The and sets album does the tone. to “Shot in ALBUM: “The Unforgiving” seem the Dark” has ARTIST: Within Temptation restrict the a good feel to RECORD LABEL: Roadrunner singer from it, and serves RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2011 belting out the lyrics, as a warm up ★ ★★ which is a to the vocalist. shame as A song with a truly epic buildher voice up is “Fire and Ice,” and with light accompaniment, it allows the is very strong and a powerhouse. singer show off the pipes that she If the album left for more “open” spaces, it could be so much more. possesses.

“Iron,” the following track, As it is, though, it’s an interesting is a standard rock structure, and listen, and may become a great continues with the violins’ ability niche title.

By Bryan Dunagan The Northern Light

10

TNL

A&E|April 5, 2011

New Snyder movie anything but a ‘Sucker Punch’

By Heather Hamilton The Northern Light

Movies with five servings of scantily-clad feminine eye candy that parade on the screen for nearly two hours don’t typically have a deep plot. “Sucker Punch” however, shatters that perception.

Previews of this movie give the vague impression that a murder takes place, a cute and innocent bleach-blond girl named Baby Doll (played by Emily Browning, “The Uninvited”) is blamed and carted off to a mental institution, where she escapes to a fantastical world inside her mind in hopes of finding a way to escape. Along the way, she gets four other inmates to help her, and all five wear outfits straight out of a video game nerd’s wildest dreams, while fighting very video game-esque villains to reach their goals.

It doesn’t seem very thought provoking, does it? All this movie could possibly be about is drawing fanboys out of their man caves and making cash - right?

Wrong.

“Sucker Punch” is possibly one of the most complex and thoughtful movies to come to theaters so far this year. It is about tragedy, pain, controversy, sacrifice, finding your personal guardian angel and - most importantly - finding your inner strength and using it.

And the movie attempts to do all these things while utilizing a twisted and convoluted storyline that, at times, is nearly impossible to follow. But don’t worry, the creators meant to do that.

The death of Baby Doll’s mother at the beginning of the movie leads to the jealousy of her stepfather when he realizes that Baby Doll and her younger sister inherit everything, her sister’s death and Baby Doll’s admission into a mental institution after her stepfather blames her, is a wild blur and cycles through in about five minutes.

i

Honestly, not much of it is even important, until Baby Doll first steps into the hospital. Then, despite the fast pace, the cinematographers make certain to draw the audience’s eyes to particular figures and items; they are important for understanding certain events in the movie later.

We learn that the stepfather bribes an orderly named Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac) to forge the main therapist and the facility’s signature on a form recommending that Baby Doll be lobotomized, so that she can never go to the authorities with the truth or reclaim her inheritance.

However, the facility doesn’t have a trained doctor to perform the procedure, but one has been commissioned to visit the asylum in five days. That is how long Baby Doll, and the inmate friends she makes, have to create and hatch their escape plan.

The acting in “Sucker Punch” was consistent, but not extraordinary. There isn’t anything terrible to note, but none of the leading ladies or gentlemen stuck out as brilliant either. On the plus side, the over-the-top acting style overall went well with the equally over-the-top cinematography and storyline.

One scene that does stand out as exceptional is the one in which Baby Doll recognizes the need to rise above her status as a scared girl and become a strong woman who fights to survive, and embraces it. It is when she first enters the fantasy world in her mind; a more visually striking and engaging scenario couldn’t have been devised.

There are two ways to watch “Sucker Punch.” First, you can watch it as an action packer with hot chicks and leave it at that. Or, you can look deeper and watch it as an exploratory piece that happens to have a lot of action and hot chicks in it. Either way, it satisfies.

Basically, see the movie, and when you leave the theater, consider seeing it again. You might notice something the second time that you didn’t the first.

Directed by: Zack Snyder STARRING: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens RUN TIME: 110 min.

GENRE: Action, Thriller

★ ★★★

4.05-4.11.2011

FOCUS FUNDRAISER

DANCE

Fetish Ball 2011 Mad Myrna’s is hosting “Fetish Ball 2011: The Fall of Rome - Caligula’s Revenge” on Saturday, April 9, starting at 8 p.m.

Guests are asked to dress in their favorite fetish or however they please. Tickets are $15, and all proceeds go to benefit the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association. For more information, check out the Facebook event page at www. facebook.com.

New Dances 2011 The UAA Dance Ensemble will be performing with guest artists in New Dances 2011 beginning on Friday, April 8 at 8 p.m. and running through Sunday, April 17 in the Mainstage Theater in the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are available through the UAA Box Office and at the door for between $7 and $18.

For more information, go to www.theatre.uaa.alaska.edu.

THEATRE

ROLLER DERBY

Roaring Rage The Rage City Rollergirls are hosting a roller derby between the Dirty Pollis and the Sockeye Sallys on Saturday, April 9 at the Den’ina Center. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Yupik Women’s Shelter in Emmonak.

Tickets are available in advance at $5 for children and $12 for adults and at the door at $9 for children and $18 for adults. Tickets are available at www. ticketmaster.com.

Becky’s New Car Cyrano’s OffCenter Playhouse present’s “Becky’s New Car,” starting on Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. Written

by Steven Dietz and directed by Schatzie Schaefers, this production is a comedic glance at one woman’s middle-aged crisis.

Tickets are $16.50 to $18.50, and are available online at www.centertix.net.

12 Angry Jurors The UAA Theatre and Dance Department presents “12 Angry Jurors,” a play written by Reginald Rose and directed by David Edgecombe, which premiered on Friday, April 1 at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday, April 17 in the Harper Studio Theatre in the Fine Arts Building. The play is about a young man accused of killing his father and the one juror who believes in his innocence.

Tickets are $10 to $15 and can be purchased online at www.centertix.net.

Compiled by Heather Hamilton e-mail arts@thenorthernlight.org to submit an event!

SPORTS

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Building Anchorage into a title town UAA teams have paid their dues and endured through losing seasons and inconsistencies to rise to top of their various leagues and have set their sights on bringing home the university its first national title

By Taylor Hall The Northern Light

Consistency isn’t a given: it’s earned.

Contenders don’t just appear: they rise from the ashes of struggle.

Championships aren’t won: they are built.

As students and faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage, we have to consider ourselves pretty fortunate.

All of our Seawolf teams are unquestionably on the rise and closing in the ultimate prize of bringing the school the first national championship.

Just take a look our teams.

More and more of the teams are winning on a consistent basis, bringing in the right caliber of athletes and gaining national notoriety as a force to be reckoned with in every sport.

“A few years ago, I had to explain who the University of Alaska-Anchorage was. I don’t have to do that anymore,” said Dr. Steve Cobb, the UAA Athletic Director who is in his 11th year at the helm of UAA Athletics. “We’ve gone coast to coast and all over the country and people know who we are now.

“They tend to remember you when you win.”

It’s pretty interesting to look at where UAA Athletics has been, where they are, and where they are going. The reason for this is that the Seawolves have not always known the success they do now.

In fact, it was the complete opposite for many years.

The late 1990’s and early 2000’s were hard times for all the programs. Losing seasons were common amongst the teams and Seawolf athletes knew very little success.

Back then, teams were considered successful if they finished with a winning record and towards the top of their leagues.

Nowadays, that is considered a pre-requisite for pretty much all UAA teams as they tend to set their sights much higher than that.

These sights are set on winning season tournaments, conference titles, and accumulating postseason wins.

“We don’t apologize for trying to win championships.

We like to win championships and see our kids advance and move on,” Dr. Cobb said. “That’s a goal and certainly we have a number of teams who are in the conversation for the national title.”

As with any team in any sport, the groundwork for a winning team has to be clear and consistent.

For UAA, it all starts with the coaches they have in place. As Dr. Cobb will tell you, they are the catalyst for nearly every success that follows their arrival to UAA. “You start, plain and simple, with coaches. They’re the ones who recruit, they’re the ones who prepare them,

they’re ones who get them through life struggles, they make the demands, make the game-plans,” Dr. Cobb said.

With consistency in the coaching department, Dr. Cobb says the talent UAA attracts to play up here will follow suit.

“Before we lost our ski coaches, our newest coach was (UAA Volleyball Head Coach Chris) Green and he’s preparing for his fourth season,” Dr. Cobb said. “That’s pretty good stability in college athletics and you get time to time to build some tradition and you get time to develop your program and you get time to bring in your type of player.”

From there, the coaches can bring in personnel they think can get the job done and help keep moving the program forward.

Of course, with UAA programs getting better and better, the quality of athlete recruited by coaches also continue to get better and better.

“A lot of these guys have a perception of what Alaska is about. Until they get here on campus and see the city, we sell it as the eighth wonder of the world,” Shyiak said, who just completed his sixth season with the UAA Hockey team. “The perception of Alaska as a whole is that we live on a different planet and we’re outside the bubble.

“Our job is to educate the potential recruits, them and their parents, what exactly Alaska is about, what Anchorage about and what the university is about.”

Once they have potential athletes sold on what UAA and the city can offer, it usually works out pretty well for both the school and the athlete. This is something that will keep paying dividends as a new class comes into the fold next season.

“I’m delighted with the recruiting this year for every one of our programs, Dr. Cobb said when mentioning the incoming freshman class for the 2011-12 athletic season.

“That is what has established our program: high morals, high character, and a willingness to grow.”

– Nikki Aden Senior guard for UAA Women’s Basketball team “Well we look for talent first. The bread and butter for any program is talent,” said UAA Hockey Head Coach Dave Shyiak.

On top of that, these players need to fit a certain mold that the UAA teams look for. Having the right kind of head on your shoulders is just as, if not more important, than the skill set you bring to the table.

“The coaches, they strive to bring in people who are high in character, who take their studies seriously,” said Nikki Aden, a senior guard for the women’s basketball team. “You may have all the talent in the world but if you don’t mesh with our program, and other areas as well here, you are not going to have success here.

“That is what has established our program: high morals, high character, and a willingness to grow.”

This process of recruiting is an ongoing task for coaches up here who are constantly on the lookout for the players who can take their teams to that next level.

“It’s continual, a 12-month job recruiting now,” Shyiak said, when speaking about how often he and his staff are out on the road trying to bring in recruits. “It’s never-ending.”

For UAA coaches, not only do they have to show what their program is all about to potential recruits, they also have to break through any negative views the athlete has about Anchorage and Alaska as a whole.

“We’re not through, but we’re substantially closing in on it and we have a very talented group joining what we believe is a very talented group returning.”

Dr. Cobb and the various coaches here at UAA will look to bring along these newcomers while continuing their stellar reputations in the classroom, in the community, and in the standings.

“We’re very pleased, across the board, with our program.

We got eight of eleven (UAA teams) making the playoffs, an average GPA over 3.0, and a graduation rate somewhere north of 90 percent,” Dr. Cobb said. “We don’t have social problems, which is something that is important to us.”

So as UAA continues to chase the national titles they so tirelessly seek, their success can be explained because of the foundation they have built.

We have the coaches who have set the standards and established the tradition.

We have the athletes that have the talent and the right kind of mentality to go with it.

We have the winning seasons and contenders throughout the department.

All that’s left now is to take the final step and win that elusive national championship and finish the construction and transformation of turning Anchorage into a title town.

TNL 12 SPORTS| Zumba can take your workout to a new level April 5, 2011

New latin-dance inspired workout hits Anchorage community as program for novices and experts alike Megan Edge

The Northern Light

For years, society has been attracted to health crazes, from diets to workout regiments. We have seen step aerobics, kick boxing, yoga, pilaties, yogolaties, and now Zumba. Each one of these workout routines is still used, but zumba is the current trend.

Zumba, is a latin inspired dance fitness class that carries inspiration from international music and rhythms. “Zumba is really really fun and it is easy to follow. Basically anybody, with or without, dance experience can come into class and have fun.” Long time dance instructor Aksana Danilava said.

The saying,” everyones doing it”, isn’t just a saying, in the case of Zumba it is fact.

You can sign up for classes at The Alaska Dance Studio, The Alaska Club, Body Renew, and many more. On March 28 and 29, Teresa Mata, had two successful free classes at UAA. “We had 30 to 40 people both nights of Zumba class,” Mata said. “We don’t have anymore scheduled, but I am definitely down for another class, we just need to make it happen.”

The fad hit hard about a year and a half ago, according to Danilava, who teaches belly dancing as well.

“I heard about Zumba from two friends, very good friends, who I met because they took my belly dancing class. They were like you should get certified in Zumba this is totally cool and you are a perfect instructor!” Danilava said.

This life long dancer, had never heard of the program though, so she Youtubed it. “ I saw the video’s and I was like YES, YES, YES, this is me,” Danilava said.

The program doesn’t discriminate on race age or gender.

Zumba, has began to attract more men and is a popular outlet for couples as well, according to Danilava.

New dancers shouldn’t worry if they are too young or too old to join the party.

“I have seen everyone from teenagers, to a 70 year old women, in the classes I have taken,” Zumba participant Lela Fleetwood said. “Our instructor I know, has even taught little kids.”

PATRICK MCCORMICK/TNL Instructor Aksana Danilava leads a free Zumba class in the Student Union. While no more classes are scheduled for UAA they remain a possibility.

Additionally. several studios and gyms offer classes throughout town.

Getting started is the simplest part of the process, just drop by and sign up.

For Fleetwood the process was even simpler.

“The class at Body Renew wasn’t full so the instructor went around the gym asking if any of us wanted to join and we did and really liked it.”

At Body Renew your first class is free. At the Alaska Dance theater dropins are $12, but free classes are offered around town.

“The Alaska Dance Theater is the most expensive place in town to Zumba, but it is the Alaska Dance Theater and they have high standards,” Danilava said.

The steps pay off in the future, the more you go to class and get comfortable with the steps the more of a workout the program becomes, both Danalava and Fleetwood, both mentioned.

The party workout program has proven productive and doable for all ages, sex and genders. All you need is a good set of workout shoes and dedication.

SPORTS BRIEFS

UAA ascends Director’s CUP standings again and are among elite in the nation Following the completion of the NCAA Division II Winter Championships season, the University of Alaska Anchorage ranks a program-record 13th place in the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup standings.

The latest rankings were released Mar. 31 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, marking the two-thirds point in the 2010-11 campaign. The rankings – which quantify the national success of all 281 NCAA Div. II programs – will be finalized after the completion of the Spring Championships season in June.

Boosted by a recent 7th-place NCAA finish from its ski team (69 points) and 2nd-round berths from its men’s and women’s basketball teams (50 points apiece), UAA’s current placing and total points (332) are its best ever at the conclusion of winter competition, topping its 20th-place standing and 284 points from 2009-10.

The Seawolves had been ranked 15th in this year’s fall standings, thanks to a 6th-place showing by the women’s cross country team (75 pts), an 8th-place finish from men’s cross country (66 pts), and a 1st-round NCAA berth for volleyball (25 pts).

UAA is the top-ranked institution among the 10 schools of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, leading Western Washington (20th) and Seattle Pacific (41st).

The Seawolves’ final two sports are men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, both of which have already qualified individuals for the May 26-28 NCAA meet.

UAA finished a school-record 45th place with 344.5 points in the 2008-09 Directors’ Cup standings, while placing 46th with 345.5 points last year.

Defending champion Grand Valley (Mich.) State leads the competition yet again with 728 points thus far.

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup is a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s NCAA finish in up to 14 sports – seven women’s and seven men’s.

UAA sponsors only 11 sports – two of which, men’s and women’s skiing, have a combined national meet – among the lowest totals of any Div. II school.

2011-12 UAA Hockey captains announced Alaska Anchorage head hockey coach Dave Shyiak announced Mar. 31 his four captains for the 2011-12 slate.

Shyiak, who will be entering his seventh year with UAA, has selected seniors Brad Gorham and Jade Portwood and juniors Chris Crowell and Scott Warner to assume the Seawolves’ leadership positions come September.

“I think this leadership group should provide us the same qualities and direction we had with our program this year,” Shyiak said in a press release. “All four have performed well in the classroom and have gained respect in the locker room by their peers.”

Gorham, an Anchorage native who will enter his senior season in the 2011-12 season, finished last season with 1 goal-5 assists—6 point totals in 34 games played and team-highs of 29 penalties and 85 penalty minutes. Gorham served as an assistant captain this past season.

Portwood, a 6’3” forward, finished with a career-high of 11 (2-9) points this past season while appearing in 33 games for the ‘Wolves in his junior year. He also was among the top penalty killers

and shot blockers for UAA this year.

Crowell, a returning assistant captain, battled with injuries this past season and only played 10 games for UAA during his sophomore season. He tallied his first career goal for the Seawolves against Denver on Jan. 22.

Warner, who will be a junior to start next season, made quite an impression in his first season with the Seawolves. He finished with 10 (3-7) points and appeared in all 37 games for the Seawolves. He also saw time on both the power-play and penalty kill units throughout the year for UAA.

Seawolves have another strong showing at Willamette Invite Sophomore Micah Chelimo won the men’s 5,000 meters with a NCAA provisionally qualifying time Apr. 1 at the Willamette Invitational at Charles Bowles Track. Additionally, the Seawolves posted a combined six personal bests and seven top-five results at the first day of the meet.

Chelimo, from Kapkoi, Kenya, claimed his second provisional time of the season, clocking in at 14:30 in the 5K – a career best. Chelimo also has a PV time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:02.28), set on March 25. Also running in the 5K was junior Alfred Kangogo, who finished fourth with a time of 14:40.

In the women’s 1500 meters, three Seawolves set personal records; senior Emma Bohman, sophomore Katie Krehlik and freshman Susan Bick. Bick lead the Seawolf pack with a time of 4:36.02, while Krehlik’s time was 4:40.88 and Bohman registered a time of 4:41.45.

Freshman Mary Chepkoech recorded her career bests in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:09.61, while junior Thomas Hill set a PR in the 1500 meter at 3:55.83.

Competing in UAA’s first 10K of the season was sophomore JJ Lende, crossing the line at 39:50.95 and junior Yonatan Yilma at 31:34.34.

Highlighted by two first-place finishes by senior David Registe and freshman Haleigh Lloyd, the ‘Wolves completed the weekend with three broken school records Apr. 2 at the Charles Bowles Track.

Combined, the Seawolves registered eight season bests, 11 personal records and 13 top-five finishes over the weekend.

Registe, from Palmer, swept the 100 and 200 meters, setting a new UAA record in the 100 meters at 10.68. The 2008 NCAA Long Jump Champion, Registe broke his own 100 meter record of 10.69, set on April 18, 2008. Registe also won the 200 meters with a team-best time of 21.91.

Joining Registe with two first-place finishes was Lloyd, a local of Ladysmith, B.C. Lloyd won the 100-meter hurdles with a school-record time of 14.54, besting her own time of 14.62 (March 5, 2011).

Lloyd also won the 400-meter hurdles at 1:01.18 – an event that she also holds the school record in at 1:00.96.

The final broken record of the day went to the women’s 4x400-meter relay team of freshmen Sasha Halfyard, Ivy O’Guinn , Susan Bick and Lloyd. The foursome won the event with a time of 3:56.18, besting the previous record of 3:58.03.

Also winning events on Saturday were the men’s 4x100-meter relay team of sophomore Ethan Hewitt, senior Levi Sutton, sophomore Brad Truax and junior Shaun Ward with a season-best time of 41.91 and freshman Gabe Holland in the discus with a toss of 160-07.

Setting season-bests were Holland in the shot put (41-11.25), freshman Travis Wilson in the 110-meter hurdles (15.85), and Bick in the 400 meters (58.88).

The Seawolves are next in action at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays Apr.14-16, Azusa Pacific Invitational Apr.15 and the Long Beach Invitational on Apr.16.

Compiled by Taylor Hall

April 5, 2011 |SPORTS

TNL

Megan Edge

The Northern Light

Athletes come and go through the athletic program at UAA. Some have made more of an impression that others.

David Registe, will be a Seawolf who has left his foot print permanently pressed into the legacy of UAA athletics.

Registe, started his long and successful career with the UAA track and field team in 2007, winning the long jump title at the GNAC championships. Just the next year, Registe won the NCAA long jump title.

In 2009, he stood next to the champion in second place and will look to take the title back this year, already qualifying for NCAA’s. Unfortunately, in 2010, Registe was forced to redshirt due to a problem with his hip flexor. This season, he already seems to be an unstoppable force for the ‘Wolves and has shown nothing but glimpses of returning for another title run A interview with TNL: First off , how is the season going for you?

This year is going alright, I’ve already qualified in long jump for nationals and tied my PR (personal record).

How are you recovering from last season?

Last season I redshirted because of a hip flexor problem.

I have done a lot of rehab on it and this year my hip flexor hasn’t been a problem.

What did you miss the most, while you redshirted?

It feels really good coming back, I missed a lot of the trips last year and I missed my teammates a lot when they went on the trips, so it’s good this year to be with them.

Did you have a hard time getting back in the track routine?

There was no adjusting needed, just hit the road and take care of business and have some fun along the way.

Who do you see as the leaders on the team?

It’s hard to say, because we don’t have team captains or anything and the seniors aren’t automatic role models. We are all kind of leaders in ourselves.

There is nobody that is king of everybody else.

What is your most memorable moment with the UAA track team?

Well, my most memorable one is probably getting second place at nationals a couple years ago; standing on the podium very unhappy. Right after the meet, when I got second place the kid that beat me added me on Facebook. That means a lot to me.

What stands out to you the most about you athletic career with the ‘Wolves?

In college, I have made it to nationals every year, and my favorite team event is the 4x100 and we won it a couple years ago at conference. It is one of my favorite moments in track because all the stuff I do is usually individual but to win a team event like that is really cool.

What are you going to miss the most about the track team?

I am going to miss the team atmosphere on trips. Everybody has a lot of fun. Just playing pranks on each other, there is a lot of secret pictures getting taken of people sleeping, you know, things like that.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned, with the track and field team?

I have learned not to take everything for granted. I mean I am really fortunate just to be an athlete here and to get my education at the same time. My dad, pushed me to stick with athletics to get to college and I did. I definitely owe him a lot.

What do you think, helps you perform so well?

I put a lot of pressure on myself and my friends push me a lot as far as first or last. My friends know that that is my attitude. Like this last meet I got second place and my friend and teammate Levi Sutton is already on my back reminding me second place, second place. He knows that that kind of talk pushes me to work harder and better for the future, so they talk a lot of trash to me about second place but they know it helps me out.

What was your favorite trip with the track team?

Well every year, we go to Vegas now and Vegas is always the most memorable trip because the entire team goes. It’s a week long during Spring Break and we go to Vegas and drive to California.

What do you do besides track?

Besides track, I like to coach.

I am doing some volunteer coaching right now over at Clark Middle School. After I am finally done actively in track I want to coach.

What are you favorite hobbies?

Everybody knows that I RC (remote control) airplanes and I RC cars. Oh yea, and video games. Those are my three.

What don’t people know about you?

I love playing basketball but I stopped for track. I am also really thankful, for God giving me the opportunity and the ability to perform and have fun, people don’t know that.

Do you see track in your future after college?

This is my last year for college track and field, but I’m definitely going to try and continue on with track and field, we just see how everything goes but I got some work to do.

You’re graduating in the spring, what’s next?

I don’t know what I am going to do yet, I want to coach but I don’t know if I want to teach also.

POSITION: Jumps/Sprints YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Physical Education HOMETOWN: Palmer, Alaska AWARDS/TITLES: 2007 GNAC ChampionLong Jump 2008 GNAC ChampionLong Jump 2008 GNAC Male Athlete of the Year 2008 All-American- Long Jump 2008 NCAA Div. II National Champion -Long Jump 2009 GNAC Male Track & Field Athlete of the Year 2009 All-American Long Jump

TOP LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA SPORTS INFORMATION BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLEY L COX

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COMICS| April 5, 2011

Horoscopes ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- You needn’t put your own desires on a back burner, but neither can they be front and center. Maintain a balance. (April 5-April 19) -- It’s important to respect another’s timetables; be ready to spring into action when called upon.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- You’ve been making someone else wait on you long enough; it’s time to set aside your own agenda for a time and focus on his or her needs. (May 6-May 20) -- Consider travel time each and every day; can you afford to take any side trips?

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- You’re waiting for news from someone who may play a key role in a new business venture. There is more at stake than you had anticipated.

(June 7-June 20) -- You are in the thoughts and prayers of someone who has been watching over you for some time.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- Something you’ve been trying to put off as long as possible must be addressed directly before the week is out. The time has come. (July 8-July 22) -- You can lessen the impact of a disappointment by focusing on something else you have in the works.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- Now is no time to force the issue with a rival who seems more prepared than you are to engage in a one-on-one battle of wills. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) -- What looks like a golden opportunity may not be all you had hoped; you have time to make alternate plans.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- The issues that are most prevalent will require you to take a closer look within; what you see may not be what you expect. (Sept.

8-Sept. 22) -- You’ll want to follow certain procedures, and resist the temptation to bend the rules.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7 You may be reunited with someone who, in the past, proved inspirational to you in many ways. It’s time to let the creativity flow. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) -- You may be wondering which direction is best for you in the coming days and weeks. Wait for a sign.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- Before you know it, certain things are likely to get around that may paint you in a bad light -- until you can dispel any false notions.

(Nov. 8-Nov. 21) -- This week may prove challenging on the home front; resist the temptation to walk away from the issues.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- You have a surprise in store for someone who may actually have an even bigger surprise in store for you. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -You know in general what will be required of you; you’ll want to begin laying out the specifics ASAP. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- There’s no reason to hold up when given the opportunity to move ahead -- even if your plans have not been set to the last detail.

(Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- You may be expected to do that which you are not yet fully prepared to do, but you can learn quickly.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- You’ll want to dust off a few cherished memories as you begin to rekindle a relationship with someone who has come back home.

(Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- You’ll have to address the issues as they arise. Don’t let yourself be held up or distracted.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- A group effort provides you with an opportunity to explore certain interests and talents that are still in the developmental phase. (March 6-March 20) -- Even though you may not be in the know, you can still play a substantive role in an evolving project.

Copyright 2011 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

TNL

April 5, 2011 | COMICS

TNL BROKECOMICS | Alec Fritz

15

TUNDRA l Chad Carpenter

CRYPTOQUOTE PUZZLE l C. Beaudrie

SODUKU

CROSSWORD 1 5

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS:

10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 30 35 36 37 38 41 43 44 45 46 47 50 53 54 58 62 63 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 1 2 3 4 5

ACROSS Philippine port Horse-andbuggy users Floor model Receptive Nouveau — Midterm or final File folder label Taj — Mouthful Leggy swimmers Sparkle Moved quickly Has the stage (2 wds.)

Islands claimed

by Argentina Nigeria’s capital Orthodontist’s gp.

Dos’ followers Discharge Tart pie (2 wds.)

Political thaw Cherbourg shes Homo sapiens VI halved Skims through Volcanic glass Pac-10 team Pharmacist Lilly Arctic mammal (2 wds.)

Close Flapjack acronym Godfather’s group — mater Ear part Rectify Diplomat Abba Tool storage Sri — Mild-mannered DOWN “Catch a Falling Star” crooner Film spectacular Optimum Open the wine One way to stroll (hyph.)

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 39

Woody ex I, for Wolfgang Layered haircuts “You there?”

Society newbies Door Chess win Eclipse, to an ancient Sidekick Bayou or fjord Visa and passport Charlatan Astaire sister Derek & The Dominos tune Once called Epoch Wish granters Ancient Rome’s port Mug with a lid Escorted

40 41 42 44 48 49 51 52 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 64 65

Hot topic Apply makeup Baja town Ostrich lookalike Percent ending Crown Bactrian beast Animal that hisses Monsieur’s son Oops! (hyph.)

Pajama coverer Lost no time Yokel Bonny hillside Pull hard Boggy lowland Sign

Quote: “Imagination is more important than intelligence”

ELECTION CENTRAL

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USUAA debate discusses policies, superheros Presidential and vice presidential candidates present agendas to student audience to persuade votes By: Ashley Snyder The Northern Light

Last Wednesday, the smell of Costco pizza wafted through the Den,the forum of this year’s USUAA Presidential debates.

The Candidates are as follows in pairs of President nominee and Vice President nominee; Ryan Buchholdt and Amie Stanley, Ashley Vanderwall and Denali Blackmore, Daniel Ribuffo and Christopher Barry.

Ribuffo spoke on behalf of himself and his running mate, Barry; the latter was suffering from a form of Laryngitis. Blackmore also spoke on behalf of herself and her running mate, Vanderwall, for reasons undisclosed to the audience.

Each candidate explained their status at UAA and past involvement with student activities. Buchholdt and Stanley cited membership in the Coalition of Student Leaders, Vice Chair of the Club Council, a part of hosting the Bartlett Lecture Series, and a member of the Debate Team.

Vanderwall and Blackmore included sitting senator, and a peer mentor in the residence halls.

Ribuffo and Barry are an Eagle and Life Scout, respectively, along with experience as Travel Board member and RHA Treasurer.

The candidates were asked to elaborate on their campaign platforms. Buchholdt said that he an Amie gave a D.A.M.N, an acryonym they have used throughout their campaign that stands for demanding accountability, affordability of education, making students count, and nurturing student life.

Vanderwall and

Blackmore were next up.

“We have many platforms such as getting students more informed and knowledgeable about what is going on in USUAA, supporting commuter students, and getting more support to The Den.” Finally, Ribuffo and Barry explained that they want to fill leadership positions, and make accountability count for every student equally.

The moderator then allowed candidates to ask each other questions. Stanley quickly took that initiative.

“I’m kind of curious what you think the difference between being a Senator and being a President is and why you decided to run for President.”

Vanderwall took several seconds to whisper her response in her running mate’s ear. Blackmore responded.

“She wanted to run for president because she feels that, um, she can move forward with the, um, responsibility of being a president, and creating an, um, creating an administration for USUAA.” Barry’s response was a little more extensive.

“The difference in my opinion in being a President and a Senator, the difference between the two, is the inherent power between the two, to be a good resource not only for students but for other students and help them focus their ideas and focus their passions, while at the same time making sure that you develop more expectations for yourself.”

Candidates tossed around many ideas on how to improve the university. Buchholdt and Stanley suggested bringing back ice cream surveys, more

DANIEL JACKSON/TNL

USUAA presidential candidate Daniel Ribuffo and vice presidential candidate Christopher Barry adress the UAA student body.

councilor involvement, and 24 hour study halls. Vanderwall and Blackmore want more leadership scholarships, late night tutors all year long, and transparency on the need for tuition increases.

Barry and Ribuffo want to revamp the Master’s program, improve relationships between students and advisors, and subsidize undeclared students, which includes tests that will help them decide on a major.

After the an hour and a half discussion, the candidates received questions from audience members. The first question was who each candidate’s favorite Super Hero was. Most people expected the typical Wonder Woman and Superman answer,

which is what Buchholdt and Stanley answered with, but the rest of the responses were not what the audience expected.

“Ashley’s favorite super hero is… She’s actually more into Disney Princesses, and her favorite is Cinderella because she has talking mice,” said Blackmore for Vanderwall.

Barry wrote down his answer for Ribuffo to read, “His favorite superhero isn’t really a superhero, so sorry, but it’s not. It’s Doc Brown from Back to the Future.

He’s not a superhero, but he’s a hero which makes him super, and he’s super intelligent.”

Ribuffo continued with his own answer to the question, “My super hero isn’t a super hero, so I guess

we both fail on figuring out the aspect of what a super hero is or isn’t. But my favorite fiction character is Sherlock Holmes, to me he is the embodiment of sort of the process.”

Voting begins Tuesday, April 5, 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and runs at the same time on Wednesday, April 6, 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Flyer wars breakout in USUAA campaigns

PATRICK MCCORMICK/TNL USUAA presidential candidate Ryan Buckholdt pieces together a replacement flyer after his was torn down.

Shana Roberson The Northern Light

In the last two years, voter turnout for USUAA elections has doubled.

To three percent of UAA students.

Yet even without sizable student involvement, political scandal still plagues this USUAA election season. One set of candidates in particular saw their campaign heat up last week through an epic battle over flyers.

Ryan Buchholdt and Amie Stanley are running for Student Body President and Vice President. The two candidates recently

posted full-color sandwich board flyers, 10 of which were torn down less than 24 hours later.

“There is camera footage of the person taking them down. UPD is currently in the process of dealing with that. There are replacements being purchased, the individual has agreed to pay, and has paid for the full replacement cost for those,” Buckholdt said, adding that their table flyers have also gone missing in a seemingly unrelated event.

University Police Officer Shane Bozeman declined to comment since the investigation was still ongoing, though the police department did confirm the flyers were stolen, a confession was made and that the individuals had agreed to pay for the damages.

Although charges are not likely to be filed, the monetary value of the posters could have potentially made the act a theft in the third degree, which is a misdemeanor.

USUAA Senator Rachel Colvard, Chairman of the Rules committee, commented on the incident.

“You shouldn’t be taking material down, absolutely not, if you want to offer a rebuttal, offer the rebuttal, but you should not be removing the material,” Colvard said.

The incident may be related to another flyer-themed episode that also occurred last week. A double-sided, pink handout was

passed around campus that, among other claims, had a copy of Stanley’s resignation letter to USUAA. Stanley was a USUAA senator last semester when she, depending on who you ask, either resigned from office or was removed from office.

The flyer calls Stanley a quitter and accuses her of spending more time with the Debate team than she did as a USUAA Senator. It features a letter, written by Stanley, that offers her resignation along with harsh criticism for the inactivity of USUAA. The flyer was in line with a recent letter to the editor of The Northern Light, which called for a retraction in an article from October 2010 that claimed Stanley had resigned, citing USUAA meeting minutes as proof Stanley had been removed from office.

The pink handout also described specific events that Stanley was “taking credit for” but that, according to the flyer’s author, she was actually ineffective with. The flyer also charges the reader to “stay tuned as more horse puckey is spewed more rebuttals will be offered.”

Although she was upset that her email was disclosed, a violation of her student rights, Stanley said she was happy to have her resignation letter a matter of public record.

“My biggest misappreciation comes from the fact that there’s no name attached, I don’t have a ability to respond, I don’t have any way to contact someone or even speak for my own name because they were too cowardly to put their own name on this publication,” Stanley said. “I think the claims are fallacious at best.”

But the pink flyers have also gone missing. Senator Colvard said she was aware of the flyer and knew its author, though she declined to give a name. Colvard said personality clashes were to blame for the excessive flyer-drama.

“Mostly it might be personality conflicts and then, going back to the flyer that some claims have been made that may not be exactly correct. And that rebuttals have been offered and instead of being rebutted, all those flyers have been taken,” Colvard said.

As for why there seems to be so much drama with this particular campaign, Colvard hoped students would draw their own conclusions.

“I think there’s some friction there between an honest debate,” she said.

That debate will be settled today as all three teams, including Ashley Vanderwall and Denali Blackmore and Daniel Ribuffo and Chris Barry take the battle to the ballot.

Elections are happening today, April 5 and run through tomorrow, April 6.

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ELECTION CENTRAL| April 5, 2011

OPINION

Character outweighs party affiliations

By Eli Johnson

Special to The Northern Light

Last week, there was a Candidate Forum at the Student Union here at UAA. It was a chance for the students and the citizens of Anchorage to be able to meet their municipal candidates, and to think about who they want to have representing them.

There is a concerning issue about municipal elections- the fact that so few people turnout at the polls to vote. At the elections last year, 18 percent of registered voters voted, and the year before that, 22 percent. These numbers are simply unacceptable.

What makes a municipal election special is the fact that it is supposed to be non-partisan. The candidates don’t run as party members, just themselves. If only all American politics could be this way- people just running on the merits of their character.

However, despite the lack of a party, there is a clear divide regarding political ideologies. There are conservative candidates, like Adam Trombley, Dave Bronson, Liz Vasquez, and Ron Alleva.

They are people who would fully support any policies that Mayor Sullivan would put forth to the Assembly.

There are several factors that make this year’s political battle interesting. The first is that Dan Fagan, a man who is the mouthpiece for conservatives in Alaska is not on the air this year. This is a good thing for liberals.

The other major thing which makes this year interesting is that this is the first time that the mayor has put his support publically behind candidates. The mayors of Anchorage have always supported those who represent their ideals, but always behind closed doors.

This year is different. This year, the mayor is open about his support, and those he backs are fully behind him. Given the mayor’s track record, this could be a frightening thing.

Mayor Sullivan has already had a bad record in Anchorage. He was the one who vetoed Ordinance 64. Thanks to a budget crisis, and his unwillingness to raise taxes, he has got police detectives, who are good at their jobs, and from all departments, now giving parking tickets. He spent over $150,000 that could have gone to the fire department, or to the police, and spent it on a new Zamboni. And that is just a small list of his strikes against the community.

What has kept Sullivan from making even bigger cuts, around all of the public sector, like the unions and infrastructure, is the Assembly.

To date, there has been a left-leaning balance at the Assembly that has

SEE CANDIDATES PAGE 22

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Forum Questions: What is the biggest problem facing Anchorage?

Gutierrez: need for energy: “Could be positioned to be a global leader” Tombley: Long term fiscal sustainability, and finding ways for IT upgrades that improve efficiency.

How feel about red roof inn housing project?

*Private social agency wants motel between Fifth and Sixth avenues along Karluk Street to be home for street alcoholics.

Flynn: Poor location, needs to be in lower traffic area, but city does require this experimental model.

Alleva: this project allows for inebriant to continue drinking; morally wrong.

Would you support equal rights ordinance for the LGBT community.

Vazquez: state supreme court should decide; in the end need to respect life styles.

Olsen: Long and short answer is yes Drummond: Actions while on school district shows that supports equal rights for everyone.

Should guns be allowed on the UAA campus?

Bronson: yes, trust college students as well to handle responsibly.

Grey-Jackson: Can’t answer, would have to give more thought.

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What would you do differently if voted in?

Olsen: Anchorage is generally on right course now; will have to see how assembly operates then with feed back from constitutes will decide.

Vasquez: Change status quo. Not vote for expensive labor contracts. Schools and city should consolidate basic services, like maintenance services, bus depots and print shops.

(Incumbent) Drummond: stay in all community council meetings and listen to people in district and all over town.

What in your background qualifies you for this position?

Birch: Community counselor chairman for mid hillside community. 10 years on Chugiach electric board. 6 years in Fairbanks government.

Kenny: 35 years in Anchorage, a steward for 17 years. Worked in highest levels of oil industry determining contracts. Oversaw wealth fare trust of 25 million dollars.

What is your position on the House Bill from Karl Gotto that would restrict unions similar to that in Wisconsin Jackson: This is a working person’s nightmare. Why would anyone in the country want to dampen salaries?

Bronson: I am card union carrier, everyone has right to bargain. In Wisconsin the process became out of control.

What would you do to prepare for a natural disaster?

Urquidi: Get information out; federal government will not give respond for at least 3 days. Everyone should know basic first aid, everyone needs to help like they did in Japan.

Lupo: Eagle River center operating system currently unmanned. I volunteered and Sullivan said city didn’t the have budget. There is one in Anchorage, but we need to cover Eagle River.

Dimond Library was closed despite 11 million dollar surplus, do you agree with its closure and should it be re-opened?

To Gutierrez: are you a fiscal conservative?

Birch: Did support mayor’s proposal, especially for an express model. “Cautiously optimistic” that will implement elsewhere in south Anchorage.

Kenny: Decide what model you want before you close it down. Closing a library in general is complete nonsense.

To Birch: From what source did you say 108 million (25 percent) goes to the ASD budget?

How to handle the homeless?

Trombey: Grandpa told me stories of homeless during WW2. Faith-based initiatives are the way to go. Far more effective than the government model.

Guiterrez: No simple solution because no one homeless person. Find ways to address individual needs. Housing First model is one good model.

How many voters would it take to make you change your mind?

Alleva: one with an intelligent answer.

Flynn: Can pick no number, depends on issue. I recently received about 100 e-mails from residents trying to breed chickens in their yards, hadn’t thought about issue before this.

Audience Questions: We currently spend too much and this year we’ve saved 7 million

From Bob Griffen, and that figure is over 10 years.

To Vasquez: will you vote based on your beliefs or of your delegates? payers.

Must represent specific section of city; consider above all else what benefits tax

To Flynn: Do you know how much bus fares are?

Yes. To Urquidi: Are municipal employees overpaid?

Paid about right, benefit packages too much.

To Kenny: How balance union and individual tax payers need?

That question assumes that union members are not taxpayers.

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ELECTION CENTRAL| April 5, 2011

The what and how much of election propositions PROPOSITION NO. 5 ($3,000,000 ) ANCHORAGE BOWL PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICE AREA CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS

PROPOSITION NO. 6 ($941,000) AREAWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSIT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS

PROPOSITION NO. 7 ($1,150,000) ANCHORAGE FIRE SERVICE AREA FIRE PROTECTION BONDS

PROPOSITION NO. 8 ($250,000) ANCHORAGE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE AREA FACILITIES BONDS

PROPOSITION NO. 1 ($37,132,000) SERVICE HIGH SCHOOL RENEWAL GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS

GRAPHIC BY COREY BEAUDRIE

PROPOSITION NO. 4 $30,850,000 ANCHORAGE ROADS AND DRAINAGE SERVICE AREA ROAD AND STORM DRAINAGE BONDS PROPOSITION NO. 9 MAY THE MUNICIPALITY BY ORDINANCE GRANT A DISABLED VETERAN REAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION TO AN ELIGIBLE WIDOW OR WIDOWER UNDER AGE 60?

PROPOSITION NO. 3 ($17,000,000) CAREER, TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL FACILITY EDUCATION UPGRADES PROJECT BONDS

PROPOSITION NO. 10 SHALL ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL CHARTER ARTICLE XXI, MUNICIPAL VEHICLE CODE ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS,

PROPOSITION NO. 2 ($16,865,000) EDUCATIONAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND FACILITY BUILDING LIFE EXTENSION AND DESIGN PROJECT BONDS

BE AMENDED TO AUTHORIZE A LIMITED DELEGATION

PROPOSITION NO. 11 ADVISORY VOTE

OF DOWNTOWN PARKING VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT

SHOULD THE MUNICIPALITY OF

TO A MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY OR MUNICIPAL AGENCY

ANCHORAGE REQUIRE MANDATORY

ONLY FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA BOUNDED BY SHIP

PHOTO IDENTIFICATION FOR SALE

CREEK ON THE NORTH, GAMBELL STREET ON THE EAST,

OF ALCOHOL BY PACKAGE LIQUOR

10TH AVENUE ON THE SOUTH, AND M STREET ON THE WEST?

STORES?

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ELECTION CENTRAL| April 5, 2011

Candidates find election fortune Assembly candidates picked fortune cookies and interpreted messages politically re

i om des r f u er yo t let ne a eo th

“You are the incumbent!”

“It’s a letter from the voters!”

-Candidate Liz Vasquez

A wi plea th sa an nt old me fri eting en d

-Mike Gurrietz supporter

,

nd

ie fr

a

it

vis

me

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a p om and l ave tr

fr

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“Well, my wife’s sister is coming to visit?”

-Candidate Adam Trombley

CANDIDATES: Fiscal responsibility among top concerns OPINION

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

kept Sullivan from passing every piece of legislation that he can come up with.

So a lot is riding on this election. The main liberal candidates whose districts are up for grabs are Mike Gutierrez, who is running in East Anchorage, Harriet Drummond, who is running in West Anchorage, and Elvi Gray-Jackson, who is running in Midtown.

While it is commonly held that Elvi is a shoe-in to win, it was pointed out that it is too early to make any guesses.

It really is anybody’s race. The other two are going to need help from the liberal community.

At the Forum, 14 candidates were able to show up. That is impressive. Somebody even managed to get Bronson there, which is a feat in and of itself. The moderator was Jason Lamb, a reporter with KTUU. He took his job very seriously.

“I would also like to remind candidates that we will let them know when their time is up,” he said rather sternly.

The opening statements weren’t all that interesting. Of course, all the conservative candidates like Bronson and Trombley believed that the government is too big, and that spending should be decreased. Like we haven’t learned that only cutting the spending is not a solution.

Gutierrez said that he would like to focus on public safety, which is good, considering that our detectives in many departments are out checking parking meters.

Drummond was glad that she had the chance to get out and speak with her community.

The questions were pretty good. Some were quite compelling. Elvi was asked what she thought of what had transpired with the union rights in Wisconsin.

“I think what happened in Wisconsin is a working person’s worst nightmare,” she said, and is quite correct.

Drummond was asked if she would endorse another move at Ordinance 64, which she is was whole-heartedly behind, and pointed out that the Assembly passed it. It was Sullivan who vetoed it.

One rather concerning question that came up was if UAA students should have the right to carry firearms on campus.

Bronson said yes, while Elvi stated that she would have to think about it more. Like the idea of students coming to a place of learning armed is a concept that needs thought.

Elvi had the leave early. She gave her closing statement before the second round of questions began.

“I really enjoy the types of Forums,” she said. She also advocated for improvements to public transportation.

The second round of questions were directly from the audience. The first had been from online.

One interesting question was to Gutierrez. He was asked if he considers himself fiscally conservative. While he did admit that he would make cuts if they were necessary, he said that he wanted to make sure people got their money’s worth.

“You’re paying more, you’re getting less,” he said.

The closing statements were pretty good.

“It takes money to operate a city,” Bob Lupo said.

“Mr. Trombley, you’re no Dan Quayle,” Gutierrez said, in response to Trombley’s statement that one of his heroes if Dan Quayle. Yeah, that says something about Trombley.

The comment was met with laughs, especially when pointed out that Gutierrez meant that in a good way.

“So few people have seen the candidates,” Drummond said. She also added that the UAA campus has been mistreated by the state, which is a fact.

But after all the talking is done, there is one thing that really needs to be addressed, the fact that only 18 percent of registered voters in Anchorage turned out to the polls last year. That number is unacceptable. If people are going to complain about how things are in this country, the need to make an honest effort to make a difference.

And to the left-of-helpful liberals out there, now is the time to either step up, or shut up.

“The reason voting doesn’t work is because nobody does it,” said John Aronno.

Which, if you look at the turnout for elections in Anchorage, is pretty true, and pretty sad.

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